Flashback to February where the Sabres were hosting the Rangers at HSBC Arena, and winning 4-0 in the third period when New York’s Scott Gomez runs behind the net, “accidentally” running into Miller.

Miller hobbled around a bit, until he was carried off by trainers to the Sabres’ dressing room. It would turn out Miller would sustain a high left ankle sprain and would end up missing about four weeks which during that time the Sabres went 3-8-1.

Patrick Lalime, who took over for Miller on his absence, went 5-13-3. When Miller came back, the team finished off the year 7-2-1. Miller is the obvious answer for the starting job here in Buffalo, but with possible injuries next year, a backup shouldn’t just be some random guy anymore.

While looking at some upcoming free agent goaltenders, I noticed that there were many low paid goalies who could carry a bit of the load for Miller next year.

Brent Johnson from Washington could be a good fix if we can sign him. He isn’t a cap hit at only 825,000. Last year for Washington, he went 12-6-1, with a .908 save percentage.

Another guy I look at is Ty Conklin. He played on the Sabres about three years ago, and would definitely help Miller out. He is cheap at 750,000, but is probably looking for a starting role somewhere as he played in over 35 games last year.

One other guy the Sabres should look at is Craig Anderson, who appeared in 27 games last year for Florida going 15-7-5. He is cheap as well, and if Florida opts not to re-sign him, the Sabres might target him. Also, Buffalo Sabre’s prospect Jhonas Enroth would benefit if he played in about five games this year.

Any way you see it, the Sabres need to acquire a backup goaltender this offseason who can carry a bit of Miller’s work load, appearing in 15-20 games with a record above .500.

Should Miller go down again, the management better be ready to throw in the right guy.

Posted by SabresLive on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 5:50 pm Filed under News · Tagged with

There’s no confirmation on whether or not Tom Golisano is chewing a microphone right about now, but the man sure has some answering to do with that statement right before the 2008-2009 season last year.

For the second year in a row, the Sabres find themselves on the outside looking in as they watch their playoff counterparts battle their way for the coveted Stanley Cup.

This, after two straight Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

It’s clear that the group that they have now is a talented one. Whether they produce or not is one thing, but the most important thing is that they are surrounded with the correct supporting talent in order to succeed.

The problem starts from up top. B. Tom Golisano is clearly not a hockey man, but that’s not something I want to get into at this point, as it’s been an argument ever since the guy bought the team. Until he decides to sell the franchise, most of us will just have to deal with the hit-or-miss seasons.

The next problem is right under that man’s nose. Besides Larry Quinn (obviously, another non-hockey man), the people the Sabres actually have to make hockey decisions have not performed their duties well.

I’ve said this once, and I’ll say it again: Darcy Regier lucked into the team Buffalo fans saw come out of the lockout, making the man look like a genius.

But ever since, key players of this high-caliber team left for better deals—we’ve been left to wonder how much of a hockey genius this man could be.

Free agency seemed like a necessary tactic in order for this Sabres team to continue to succeed, however, the fans of Buffalo were assured that they had up-and-coming talent on which they could count.

No offense, but the Sabres are not the Detroit Red Wings, a team who continues to draft diamonds in the rough and put out a great on-ice product. That being said, the Sabres draft very well, as shown by how much talent they put out on the ice year after year.

However, we are still left with a team with potential. That is all.

The one and only way that this team will ever succeed again, is to surround all the young players they have with at least two decent, leading veterans.

All the pieces are there. They have two arguably top-line centers, plenty of good wingers, and a decent enough defensive corps, not to mention an All-Star goalie in Ryan Miller (and I can say that whole-heartedly now).

However, there is still much left to be desired, as shown by their absence in the playoffs for the past two years.

Unfortunately, the Sabres are tied up in cap space, having a lot of dead weight in players like Jochen Hecht and Henrik Tallinder, two players who have not lived up to the potential in which the brass is paying them for.

We look at Detroit, also tied up in cap space for next year. But then again, look where Detroit is right now. Their only worry is not having the ability to bring back one of their many superstars that they carry on their team.

That being said, the Sabres do not need to bring in any superstars to this team. It is believed that this team has plenty of young, potential star players in this league, like Derek Roy, Thomas Vanek, and Jason Pominville.

However, these players are still young and have not reached their prime, and unfortunately, unless something happens, their talents will most definitely not be maximized at their prime unless management decides to bring in more veteran leaders around here. Good veteran leaders will cost some money, though.

The plan of action should be to get rid of any dead weight lying around on this squad, whether that be through fully getting rid of those contracts by trading, or by buying out and only paying a fraction of that salary counting against the cap. The latter is the more likely of the two options.

Along with getting rid of the dead weight, it may be necessary to get rid of a player who actually plays to his potential. I see Derek Roy as a nice guinea pig due to his production and bargain of a contract.

Getting rid of this money gives help in the area of getting a good veteran leader like Sergei Zubov, who would really maximize a defensive corps considered weak in the past.

What may be a relatively cheap (in my standards) pickup, would be a guy like Todd Marchant. He made about $2.6 million last year, and may take a nice hometown discount (doubtful) for a team he most likely supported growing up in Williamsville, NY, a suburb outside of Buffalo.

Only time will tell. With the Conference Finals underway, the playoffs will be ending shortly. The only thing Sabres fans will have to wait for, then, is July 1st, when the free-agency period begins.

Posted by SabresLive on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 at 11:13 am Filed under News · Tagged with

As the 2009 NHL Playoffs continue on into early June, the Buffalo Sabres find themselves on the outside looking in once again for their third straight year. So how do they correct that? Play like they did during the 2005-06 campaign.

KEY

(NOW- This past year, 2008-09)

(THEN-The 2006-07 campaign)

(SOLUTION- What they need to do this off season)

POSITIONS

THEN

The Sabres had two elite centers in Daniel Briere and Chris Drury, and not to mention Derek Roy, who was still developing as a top center. Regardless, Drury was the man to count on, and won faceoffs at big times, like his faceoff win and goal with 7.8 seconds left in the playoffs against the New York Rangers in Game 5 to keep the Sabres alive.

NOW

The team has been strong at center, but doesn’t have many guys who were noticeably consistent at draws when it was much needed. Roy was consistently around the 40 to 60 percent range with faceoffs this year.

Paul Gaustad was all over the place and was very inconsistent, but had many games where he was above 70 percent, and one game where he was perfect. Still, he isn’t a go to guy when your down one with a minute left in the third.

Tim Connolly, who is one of our elite center men, sadly is in the 20 percents with most of his games, but somehow keeps getting the call in the late minutes. Finally, our best face-off man comes from a man we traded for at the trade deadline back in March, Dominic Moore.

Moore was in the 45 to 60 percent range all year in draws, and was a major reason the Sabres decided to acquire him. Maybe they were remembering how important faceoffs were in tight situations, and needed a man to fill that role.

SOLUTION

Trade or sign a guy or two who you can truly trust at times to win the draw to set up a scoring chance. The Sabres need a guy they can send on the ice and have faith in, something we don’t have with any of our centers right now. Here is a guy I think the Sabres should make some serious offseason talks to.

Jamie Lundmark—The guy makes $600,000 a year, and could be an asset to the team by winning draws in clutch times (he had four games with 100 percent faceoffs, and six games above 80 percent). For that cheap, bring him in and let him take draws.

THEN

The Sabres had good young developing players such as Jason Pominville, Maxim Afinogenov, Drew Stafford, and Ales Kotalik, all who had a 25 point plus year. Afinogenov was sixth on the team in points with 61, almost triple what he’s put up in the last two years (28 and 20).

NOW

The Sabres still have most of their wings from the playoffs back in 2006, and now Stafford is more of a contributor, but we might see him go this off season.

Daniel Paille is more of a player as well, as is Patrick Kaleta, who doesn’t put many points up, but is our enforcer now (sorry Andrew Peters). Afinogenov has stopped producing, and Clarke MacArthur doesn’t deserve a starting spot.

SOLUTION

Alright, so I think were pretty set on the wingers, but might need to add one top line winger, and two third or fourth line wingers too. Here is a guy that the Sabres might want to look into during free agency this off season.

Mark Recchi—For a guy that is 41 years old, he put up 61 points last year. He is a veteran, and could lead this team if the Sabres management can sign him. He’s also very cheap as he came off a year earning only $1.25 million.

THEN

Agh, flashback to the good days with Brian Campbell getting 48 points, Dmitri Kalinin not absolutely sucking and getting 29 points, Teppo Numminen put his heart monitor down and notched a nifty 29 points as well. In addition, Henrik Tallinder and Toni Lydman ACTUALLY played WELL as a pair! Agh those were the good days.

NOW

Well, we have a 40-year-old defenseman who thinks he’s 25 and who we believe can still cotribute, probably the worst defensive pair in hockey with Lydman and Tallinder, who cant even watch the front of the net (I cant even count how many times last year after a goal against us that Lydman was just turning in circles in front of our net).

Jaroslav Spacek is our best defenseman by far, he had 45 points last year. Chris Butler played well last year in the action he saw, which could help in the future, but still, I don’t think he is ready to be a full time player next year.

Andrej Sekera played really well for his early career, and is looking to take a top four spot next year. Craig Rivet played well, as expected, leading the team, and nailing 24 points, 22 of those being assists.

Don’t be upset at his low numbers however, he isn’t much of a goal scorer, but enforces on the ice, and takes control of his team, which was a major reason he was granted the captain role around the first week he met his new team.

SOLUTION

The Sabres need a young defenseman, but also need good proven guys back there as well. This off season, the Sabres should be looking to get one young player who can still play, and two proven guys all ready. They should also let go of Nathan Paetsch, Numminen, and Tallinder. Here are some ideas:

Jay Bouwmeester—At least make a run for him and keep offering to him until you go over $5 million.

Marc-Andre Bergeron—He had back surgery in April, but if he can return fully and play like he has been, then he can be a 30 to 40 point player.

Filip Kuba—He is a proven defenseman, and had 40 points last year at defense for Ottawa. It would be nice to get a guy who can contribute as much as he did last year, as he had 37 assists.

Goalie

The Sabres are set with Ryan Miller, and could bring up Jonas Enroth for next year just to get some experience in. They may also need a back up.

All in all, the Sabres need some work during the off season, and if the management of Larry Quinn and Darcy Regier don’t make any major moves to satisfy the fans who’ve stuck around during this two year playoff drought, it could get ugly in Buffalo.

Posted by SabresLive on Monday, May 18, 2009 at 8:19 pm Filed under News · Tagged with

After two seasons without making the playoffs, and the addition of the Platinum seating price range last year, the season ticket sales have not suffered. 94 percent of season ticket holders renewed their seats and there is projected to be another 500-700 more season tickets available for the 2009-2010 season.

Chief Operating Officer, Dan DiPofi, released this statement: “Our season ticket holders are the lifeblood of this organization. Since the first day Tom Golisano purchased the team in 2003, we wanted to be sure our season ticket holders received the best price on their tickets. In return, our fans have been fiercely loyal to us and we take great pride in the partnership we have nurtured with them over the last several years.”

Your damn right!

Anticipation is already building for the NHL draft on June 26th with the Sabres having the 13th overall pick in the first round. I can’t wait to see a few change-ups made in the offseason.

Until then: Lets Go Sabres!

Posted by SabresLive on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at 11:45 pm Filed under News · Tagged with

The Buffalo Sabres have announced today they have signed 2008 first-round draft pick, and current Kelowna Rockets defenseman, Tyler Myers, to a three-year NHL entry-level contract.

The 6-foot-8 defenseman was recently named the Western Hockey League’s Playoff MVP, as his Kelowna Rockets have advanced to the Memorial Cup Championship. Myers contributed with 20 points (5G-15A) in 22 games this postseason.

He is coming off a career-best year in the WHL where he posted 42 points (9G-33A) in 58 games, along with a +31 plus-minus rating and 105 penalty minutes.

Myers showed great potential this past winter for the Canadian junior team, who won the 2009 World Junior Championships in Ottawa. Myers had one goal in seven games.

The Katy, Texas native–who currently resides in Calgary, AB– has accumulated 77 points (17G-60A) in 191 games for the Rockets from 2005-2009. He was drafted 19th overall in the 2005 WHL draft at the age of 15.

Myers, 19, has drawn comparisons to Boston Bruins’ defenseman, Zdeno Chara, for his size and Detroit Redwings’ defenseman, Nicklas Lidstrom, for his smooth-skating ability. The only downside to Myers’ size, is his current 215-pound frame. The Sabres sure hope he can add an extra 10 to 20 pounds before he is suiting up in the Blue & Gold, somewhere in the next couple years.

Sabres.com contributed to this article

Posted by SabresLive on Monday, May 11, 2009 at 2:10 pm Filed under News · Tagged with

Considered by many as a low spending team, the Buffalo Sabres have almost $50 million on the books for existing contracts for the 2009-2010 season. That money does not reflect attempting to resign unrestricted free agents like Maxim Afinogenov, Jaroslav Spacek, Teppo Numminen, Andrew Peters, Matt Ellis or newly acquired Dominic Moore.

The Sabres also have several restricted free agents like Drew Stafford, Clarke MacCarthur, Patrick Kaleta and Andrei Sekera.

General Manager Darcy Reiger has a history of playing hardball with restricted free agents in the past but could risk losing a player like Stafford to another team.

The Sabres will most likely lose most of these players this offseason and promote from Portland (AHL).

Also look for the team to cut or trade a few of their higher paid players in a salary purge.

With players like Ryan Miller, Thomas Vanak, Tim Connolly and Jason Pominville making over $4 million a season they might have to part ways with players like Toni Lydman, Henrik Tallinder, Paul Gausted and Derek Roy to remain financially stable in the coming season and beyond.

Posted by SabresLive on Sunday, May 10, 2009 at 11:41 am Filed under News · Tagged with

The Buffalo Sabres’ organization seems to have a knack for being the “longest tenured.” They have the longest tenured coach and the longest tenured GM.

Until their split at the end of the 2007-08 season, they had the longest tenured relationship with their AHL affiliate, a 29 year relationship with the Rochester Americans.

A little known fact, but certainly just as important, is that the longest tenured radio play-by-play commentator, Rick Jeanneret, called every Sabres game since their second season—an amazing string dating back to October 1971.

The St. Catharines native should be recognized for his contribution to the popularity of the Sabres, as much as any player in their history. His energetic style has the power to gather thousands in downtown Buffalo for an away game during the playoffs.

It’s easy to forget the energy that was in Buffalo during their post-lockout run in 2006. ‘Ol RJ has every bit to do with it, as the players’ performances did.

Where else in the NHL do fans download ringtones of his most famous calls?

RJ is simply a tag line generator. He should be drawing a second salary from the Sabres marketing department, since they tend to use his calls in advertisements and merchandise.

How many of us bought an old La-la-la-LaFontaine t-shirt?

Other memorable calls include:

“These guys are good! Scary good!”

“Now, do you believe?”

“There’s room on the believers’ bandwagon.”

“There have been more cheap shots in this game than in a Mexican Cantina during happy hour!”

Also, here’s the “Closing of the Aud” in 1996 and some players’ nicknames from Jeanneret:

The Buffalo Sabres’ organization seems to have a knack for being the “longest tenured.” They have the longest tenured coach and the longest tenured GM.

Until their split at the end of the 2007-08 season, they had the longest tenured relationship with their AHL affiliate, a 29 year relationship with the Rochester Americans.

A little known fact, but certainly just as important, is that the longest tenured radio play-by-play commentator, Rick Jeanneret, called every Sabres game since their second season—an amazing string dating back to October 1971.

The St. Catharines native should be recognized for his contribution to the popularity of the Sabres, as much as any player in their history. His energetic style has the power to gather thousands in downtown Buffalo for an away game during the playoffs.

It’s easy to forget the energy that was in Buffalo during their post-lockout run in 2006. ‘Ol RJ has every bit to do with it, as the players’ performances did.

Where else in the NHL do fans download ringtones of his most famous calls?

RJ is simply a tag line generator. He should be drawing a second salary from the Sabres marketing department, since they tend to use his calls in advertisements and merchandise.

How many of us bought an old La-la-la-LaFontaine t-shirt?

Other memorable calls include:

“These guys are good! Scary good!”

“Now, do you believe?”

“There’s room on the believers’ bandwagon.”

“There have been more cheap shots in this game than in a Mexican Cantina during happy hour!”

Also, here’s the “Closing of the Aud” in 1996 and some players’ nicknames from Jeanneret: